Cowboy Up

Art, music and antique lovers will enjoy The International Cody Family Association Reunion starting on Thursday.

During the four-day festival, art, music and antique guns will be on display at the Jamestown Gateway Train Station, located at 211-217 W. Second St., Jamestown. Lee Harkness, Jamestown Gateway Train Station general manager, said in different areas of the train station, artwork and posters will be on display, with a different theme in each section.

”There will be spectacular artwork. There will be more than 60 images on display,” Harkness said. ”One section will have artwork from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West shows, another area will focus on (Native Americans) and another will have artwork of guns.”

Harkness said several history museums will have art on display at the train station. The list includes the Buffalo Bill Center of the West; the Ringling Brothers Museum of Art; the Pawnee Bill Ranch in Oklahoma, which was once the showplace of the world renowned Wild West Show entertainer Gordon W. ”Pawnee Bill” Lillie; the Remington Firearms Museum; the Annie Oakley Center; and an art exhibit from Ellis Island depicting people of Scottish ancestry in the American West. Cody’s ancestors emigrated from Scotland.

Harkness said there will also be displays of antique firearms from the Wild West Era by Jim Buck and Richard Beck. Also, there will be music from the late 1800s being performed. Harkness said Diane Bergholtz of Bemus Point found some sheet music of a song honoring Buffalo Bill.

”On Friday, this original music score from 1895 will be performed by John Cross, who has transposed the music. He will be here with a band he put together,” Harkness said. ”Diane found the music looking through some old things.”

The art, music and antique firearms are just one of the many events that will be happening during the four-day event. There will also be a Buffalo Bill Cody Western Parade, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday on the corner of Third Street and Foote Avenue. Other events include two Wild West shows; special guest speakers like Jeremy Johnston, the curator of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West; an antique car show; and a special event on the Buffalo Bill poster at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts.